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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27503689">The Weight of Betrayal</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_Dee/pseuds/In_Dee'>In_Dee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Taggert 'Verse [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCIS: Los Angeles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 03:07:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,756</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27503689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_Dee/pseuds/In_Dee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He needed to get out of the house, needed to get away from that revelation, that betrayal.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>G Callen/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Taggert 'Verse [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808557</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Weight of Betrayal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My take on what would have happened after "Payback"... in this 'verse ;)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The wood from the dining room table had been cut into pieces… tiny pieces… lots of them. And still it wasn’t enough. Joelle’s presence in his house had been dormant and shadowy ever since they had broken it off, even more so since Luc had become a more important and permanent fixture in his life, but now she seemed to fill every nook and cranny in every room.</p>
<p>He needed to get out of the house, needed to get away from that revelation, that betrayal.</p>
<p>Hetty’s words reverberated inside of his brain.</p>
<p>“<i>Mr. Callen… step away from CIA officer Taylor.</i>”</p>
<p>The incomprehension, the absolute stunning shock of those words just wouldn’t leave him.</p>
<p>Neither would Joelle’s words, words carelessly and cruelly spoken inside the interrogation room in the boatshed.</p>
<p>‘<i><b>You</b> lied to <b>me</b></i>.’</p>
<p>‘<i>If you can’t forgive me… how can you ever forgive yourself for all the times you’ve done this to other people?</i>’</p>
<p>It wasn’t the fact that he <i>had</i> hurt people by playing his part in undercover operations. He had seen the pain of that deception, hated inflicting it. It was a necessary evil of the job though.</p>
<p>It was the fact that it was a hypocritical statement and a moot one. He had lied to her at the start but after she had been drawn into one of their cases and hiding had become impossible, he had opened up to her. He hadn’t done it because he had to - he could have continued lying, or could have cut her out of his life - but because he had wanted to keep their relationship alive and honesty had been the only way to achieve that.</p>
<p>Or so he thought.</p>
<p>Obviously, she hadn’t felt that same way.</p>
<p>It could have been the turning point in their relationship, the moment in time where they both stepped out of the shadows and owned up to who they were.</p>
<p>The only one who had stepped forward had been him though.</p>
<p>And now Joelle had the gall to throw her hypocrisy in his face and put her behavior, her own shortcomings on his shoulders.</p>
<p>With a furious snarl, Callen hit the steering wheel several times.</p>
<p>She knew her words had hurt; that self-satisfied expression after she had delivered her grand hypocrisy speech had told him that much.</p>
<p>He felt sick, disgusted… and what was more: he felt used and abused.</p>
<p>He had been a means to an end… her end, the Agency’s end. She had been placed to collect Intel on him. Whether it was only for this super secret fraction of a rebel group within the CIA or for the agency on the whole, he wasn’t quite certain of right now. At the moment, the very personal fallout blinded him to any professional impact. He would take care of that later - if Hetty didn’t beat him to it - but for the moment, he would need to sort himself out and come to grips with this; this feeling she left him with, the bad taste that just wouldn’t leave his mouth.</p>
<p>The feeling of being used and abused wasn’t new. On the contrary, it was an old friend - a hated companion that had walked by his side for most of his life.</p>
<p>During his upbringing, he had been used - at best - as a paycheck or - at worst - as a paycheck, a scapegoat and a punching back all rolled into one.</p>
<p>Even Hetty had used him for her own ends - shaping him into a weapon - and while he wasn’t always ok with that, Hetty’s position in this game and in his life was one he rarely questioned and even less often regretted.</p>
<p>Several previous relationships - when he had dared putting himself out there - had ended in very similar feelings of being a means to an end. Up until now, his CIA ex-wife Tracy had taken the cake. She had used him and thrown him out with the garbage during a crucial state of their mission. He had tried everything to both salvage the mission and make sure she was safe but she hadn’t afforded him the same care and attention.</p>
<p>The sickening feeling of betrayal and having been used had hung around him like a bad aftertaste for months afterwards.</p>
<p>Callen growled again, changing lanes and ignoring the honking horns and flashing lights behind him as he raced past another late night driver. He didn’t care and if Hetty sent him back to that moronic driving school again, he would unleash hell on that crazy hippy guy - with or without a silent ‘h’.</p>
<p>And now Joelle. He actually thought that her betrayal was the worst so far, even surpassing Tracy’s.</p>
<p>With the foster homes he had learned things just worked that way. With Tracy, he should have known better since he knew her profession. But Joelle…</p>
<p>She had played her role well. He had to give her credit for that. He had never suspected. Not even when she had become entangled in their mission. Her shakiness after being ambushed in her own house, having people shoot at her… she had played it to a T. In hindsight, he did wonder why she hadn’t tried to find a backup weapon and jump into the fray. Then again, it would have given the game away and made that damsel in distress role pretty difficult to keep up.</p>
<p>And to think he had felt sorry for her.</p>
<p>Callen scoffed. Taking the exit, he followed the memories of the last months, while he sped down the streets. He hadn’t noticed at first where he was headed. His only desire had been to leave his house behind, trying to leave the memories as well. He had been more than half way to Coronado before he had consciously realized where he was headed.</p>
<p>On the one hand, he wanted to have some peace and quiet to himself to work through the new revelations and come to grips with them. On the other hand he needed to get out of his own head, out of his thoughts that were circling at breakneck speed round and round the same circuit in his brain, leading him nowhere.</p>
<p>Driving to Luc came with its own set of consequences. They had grown closer over the last few weeks since Luc had returned to the US from his deployment. They had reaffirmed their tentative bonds and strengthened the foundations of what was slowly becoming a stable relationship.</p>
<p>Still, going to Luc now - especially after what he had learned today… part of him was skittish of following through and putting himself out there again. At the same time, the lure of finding clarity and relief in from of his lover drew him in.</p>
<p>Callen parked the car and jumped out, striding up to the gate and throwing it open. The Labrador barked in the yard two houses over, but he ignored it as he jogged up the front steps and started pounding on the door.</p>
<p>He could gain entry on his own - he was in the possession of lock picks after all - but some rational part of his brain reminded him of the potential trouble of entering without permission - namely a GSW when the elite soldier acted before waking up. Luc most certainly - probably - wouldn’t make such a mistake - he was an elite soldier after all - but Callen didn’t feel like taking another hit today. The others had been emotional and had inflicted enough damage for right now. No need to add a physical wound.</p>
<p>Callen pounded on the door again when nothing happened, fierce frustration swallowing him whole. He hung his head, furious and desolate at the same time.</p>
<p>When the door opened, he first saw the gun hanging loosely by Luc’s leg. Callen glanced up and took in Luc’s posture: confused, sleepy and unimpressed.</p>
<p>“G?” the other man muttered, blinking slowly and tilting his head to the side. “What--“</p>
<p>Callen surged forward and stepped into Luc’s space, reaching up to draw the other man in and smashing their mouths’ together.</p>
<p>There was a confused grunt before Luc’s mouth fell open in surprise and welcoming. Taking advantage, Callen deepened the kiss, invading the other’s mouth as he took firm control of the kiss and the situation. He took another step forward, maneuvering Luc back and into the house. Blindly reaching out, he grabbed the edge of the door and threw it shut behind him, making it rattle.</p>
<p>Luc tried backing off but Callen followed, keeping their bodies in contact. His hands ran over the other man’s shoulders and arms, sneaking to his ribcage and following the well defined lines of muscle. He was very much in favor of Luc’s attire - nothing but a pair of boxers.</p>
<p>They were both breathing hard by the time Callen backed Luc into the living room wall. Luc muttered a breathless ‘ompf’ when his back collided firmly with the wall. There was no protest though. Callen canted his hips forward and twin moans rumbled in the otherwise quiet space around them.  Letting up from the kiss, his lips trailed from Luc’s mouth to his ear and further to his throat. He bit down at the fleshy part where neck met shoulder, soothing the hurt with a set of kisses, resisting the urge to suck a mark on the bare skin. Luc stretched his head to the side, opening more room, his breathing labored.</p>
<p>A moment later, Luc’s hands were busy moving, searching for skin to touch, trying to disentangle Callen’s shirt from his jeans.</p>
<p>Instead of allowing it, Callen reached between them and caught Luc’s hands. He pried them away and pinned them to the wall on either side of Luc’s body. Shifting forward once more, he settled his weight more firmly against Luc’s body, bringing them into full contact before he hitched his hips against his lover’s once more.</p>
<p>With his hands confined, Luc used his body to stretch forward, crashing his lips against Callen’s in a heady kiss. It was the only sign of fighting against Callen’s dominance without really struggling to gain the upper hand that Luc made.</p>
<p>Bringing Luc’s hands up, Callen encircled both his wrist lightly with his left hand before he reached between them, stroking Luc through the thin fabric of his boxers.</p>
<p>Breaking the kiss, Luc’s head fell back against the wall with a thud as his hips stuttered forward. Looking for more skin, Callen’s hand snaked beneath Luc’s boxers, his fingers closing around Luc’s erection.</p>
<p>Knowing his lover’s body, having committed his sweet spots to memory, Callen used his knowledge to his advantage and steadily pushed him on. It didn’t take long before he brought Luc to completion, watching him fly over the edge. Callen drew his head back enough so he could watch his features.</p>
<p>He shifted his grip on his lover when Luc’s knees buckled and he sagged into the wall. Now freed, Luc’s hands came around and he clung to Callen who held them both up. Luc’s breathing was harsh as he rode out his climax, beads of sweat clinging to his skin. Leaning in and inhaling deeply, Callen mouthed at the skin of his neck.</p>
<p>His own physical desire hadn’t been sated, but bringing Luc to the edge of climax and watching him fall over it had sated some instinctual part of his being. He sighed into Luc’s neck, closing his eyes while he waited for his lover to regain a shred of coherency.</p>
<p>Only when Luc moved against him, his movements somewhere between uncoordinated and purposeful, he drew back. Callen smiled when Luc’s expression was somewhere between confused and sated.</p>
<p>Callen leaned forward and brushed a kiss against his lover’s lips. Luc’s lips were slightly clumsy when he wasn’t completely recovered yet and Callen smiled in accomplishment.</p>
<p>Half-way into the kiss, Luc’s hands curled around Callen’s sides and he drew him closer, shifting his legs apart so Callen could settle between them. This time it was Callen’s breath that stuttered slightly when their bodies came into contact, his arousal trapped between them.</p>
<p>Drawing back slightly, Luc watched him for a moment before he nudged Callen back. The move was slow, questioning as if testing the water on whether or not Callen would allow it.</p>
<p>Callen stepped back and followed Luc into the bedroom when the other man reached for him and drew him over to the bed.</p>
<p>Xxxxxxx</p>
<p>His breath still stuttered while his heart beat wildly in his chest. Totally spent and exhausted, Luc allowed his body to sag into the mattress. His lover’s body was stretched out on top of him. There was still a fine line of tension in Callen, but it wasn’t comparable to earlier when he had practically bulldozed into Luc’s house.</p>
<p>When Callen had first appeared on his doorstep, all fury and movement, Luc had been taken completely by surprise. He had only been home for an hour, had just dropped off to sleep when he had been woken by someone banging on the front door. In between grabbing for his gun and making his way to the door he hadn’t really taken the time to wake up, relying on countless hours of training to keep himself not only functioning but making sure he came out on top of any dangerous situation. He had operated under less than optimal physical conditions in one or another mission before.</p>
<p>Finding his lover on his doorstep, he hadn’t exactly been happy - after a grueling four day special training exercise, he only wanted to sleep - had just <i>been</i> asleep - and Callen’s appearance kept him from it. Before he could get out more than two words, trying to demand an explanation, Callen had basically invaded his physical space.</p>
<p>Luc tried blaming his passiveness and the rather quick first part of their encounter on his sleepiness and exhaustion, but the truth was, Callen had been a man on a mission and his determination had captivated Luc. He hadn’t seen his lover like this before and he was as turned on and curious as he was content in letting Callen lead. He knew he didn’t have to fear this man. Callen may have been ticked up about something, but he wouldn’t fall so far into his fury that he purposefully set out to hurt Luc; and on top of that, Luc knew how to handle himself in the unlikely event of things getting out of control after all. So instead of fighting, Luc had let go and surrendered himself to his lover’s control.</p>
<p>Even though he hadn’t consciously noticed it before, Luc now realized that there had been a desperate edge to Callen, some kind of desperate need to be in control.</p>
<p>Luc had seen that edge in others before - mostly in fellow soldiers when a mission had been completed, one that had spun out of control on a massive scale that left everyone trying to figure out where things had gone wrong and do whatever they needed to feel back in control of <i>something</i>.</p>
<p>His lover’s need to control their encounter made sense on that backdrop. Still, the undercurrent of fury felt different, rather personal.</p>
<p>Moving slightly, Luc brushed his fingertips down his lover’s back, following the shoulder blade inwards and then lingering on his spine. He smiled slightly when he was rewarded with a small shift of Callen’s head, his lips moving against the edge of his jaw. Luc leaned his head closer, tipping his head so that his temple rested against Callen’s forehead.</p>
<p>“Not that I’m complaining, but care to tell me what brought this on?” he murmured, somewhat unsure if the other man would open up to him. Callen was an incredibly guarded man. He had been hardened by countless battles, many of which had started in his youth.</p>
<p>Luc knew a few things - Callen had grown up as a ward of the state and spent his upbringing in many different foster homes. As an adult, he had worked in several different federal agencies - mostly as an undercover operative. He had been wounded several times. The details of his medical history were known to Luc because he had needed to know what he was in for when they had set out to get Callen out of captivity. Actually, his medical history was probably the aspect of Callen that he had the most complete understanding of.</p>
<p>Other than those generalities, Luc had little knowledge of his partner’s past.</p>
<p>He knew what Callen let him see and what his own instincts told him - and for now, that was enough for Luc. Truth was, Callen didn’t know everything about him either and it would take some more time before Luc would open up about those aspects of himself as well. So he let Callen have his own secrets as they navigated their strengthening relationship.</p>
<p>Callen sighed softly before slowly withdrawing and rolling onto his side, freeing Luc of his weight. Luc followed, rolling onto his side as well so they were facing each other.</p>
<p>Blinking his eyes open, Callen watched him and Luc could see him struggling with himself. He reached out and let his fingertips trail along Callen’s cheek. He felt the way Callen worked his jaw under his fingertips, tension building as he continued warring with himself before eventually coming to a conclusion and slowly blowing out a breath.</p>
<p>“We nearly lost Kensi today,” he muttered softly.</p>
<p>Luc grimaced in sympathy. He had gotten to know Callen’s team back in the Middle East and had noticed the strong bonds between them. There had been familiarity and strength in those bonds, quite similar and yet different to his own SEAL team. While Luc hadn’t yet met Callen’s team in an unofficial setting, had not been able to observe their interactions outside of the tense situation of a wounded team mate being extracted from a war torn country, he had gotten to know the team quite well through some of his lover’s stories. He knew that Callen was close to his team - closer than he had ever expected he would be to anyone. He knew that Callen looked upon Kensi as a younger sister on top of being an agent under his command. Losing Kensi would have impacted heavily with Callen… even more so if they couldn’t keep Deeks from slipping away after that. Kensi and Deeks came as a package deal and Callen had told him in one of their longer conversations a few months back when Kensi was fighting against her own body that he doubted one would stay on the team without the other.</p>
<p>Nearly losing Kensi explained the feeling of loss of control that Luc had previously seen in his lover. There was something else though. Luc debated with himself for a moment before he decided to prompt the other man. “What else?” he asked quietly.</p>
<p>Again, Callen was silent for several moments while he worked out what and how much to tell him. Luc waited. Often with Callen, you either had to read between the lines or wait him out - granted, waiting him out was difficult because he did aloof and unbothered rather well. But sometimes, when Callen was trying to figure out whether or not to take the next step, Luc had found he just had to wait instead of pushing. Sometimes, waiting paid off, sometimes it didn’t. It was a careful push and pull that was dynamic and ever changing, but it also strengthened the connection between them because it demonstrated the trust that was building with each interaction.</p>
<p>“My last girlfriend got entangled in this whole thing, only she’s not who I thought she was,” Callen said slowly, as if testing out the words. He sighed and slowly sat up, settling himself cross-legged on the bed. When Luc made to sit up as well, Callen lightly rested his fingers against his shoulder, motioning for him to stay down. So instead of sitting up, Luc once more rolled onto his back and glanced up at his lover. If Callen realized it or not, Luc’s position left him open and vulnerable to the other man as he sat over him. Callen motioning for him to stay down let him know that the other’s instinctive need to be in control wasn’t sated yet.</p>
<p>Despite to darkness of the room, he could easily make out his lover, could also mostly see his face. There was exhaustion and sadness in his eyes, mixing with anger and another emotion he couldn’t name.</p>
<p>Callen dragged a hand down his face before he drew it through his hair. Frustration and edginess were plain to see and tension was seeping back into his body. Luc reached out and rested his hand on his lover’s thigh, making no further move. The muscle quivered under his touch for several moments.</p>
<p>“I knew her as a kindergarten teacher. Sweet and caring. Initially, she didn’t know who I was, didn’t know me as a federal agent. She became entangled in another case a while back and my cover story was blown due to that,” Callen said calmly, “I told her who I was after that. Things worked for a little while until they didn’t anymore. The break up was more a foregone conclusion that had been in the making for a while, so that was ok.” He blew out a slow breath.</p>
<p>Luc was able to see the turmoil in his eyes before Callen closed them. He guessed this was when things would become difficult for his lover.</p>
<p>“Turns out she wasn’t a kindergarten teacher in the first place. She’s a CIA officer who was placed in that school to get Intel on wealthy and influential parents.”</p>
<p>Luc felt his eyes widen at that. “She didn’t tell you when your cover was blown and you opened up to her?”</p>
<p>Callen shook his head, his hands balling into fists and a breath hissing out between his clenched teeth. “She actually had the gall to throw some rather hypocritical words in my face today.” He stood and moved over to the window, his back to Luc, but his body communicating more than any words he spoke.</p>
<p>Betrayal. That was what he had seen in Callen’s eyes earlier but hadn’t been able to identify. “What a bitch,” Luc muttered frostily. He sat up and watched his lover. There was a line of tension and anger, but the way Callen stood, alone and with his arms sung around himself, spoke of pain and isolation.</p>
<p>Luc stood and moved up behind Callen. His lover had come to him earlier for a multitude of reasons, many Luc probably couldn’t fathom. Now it was his turn to go to Callen and reel him in, confirm that he had made the right decision to come here above the need for a simple physical, sexual outlet. He stepped up behind Callen, his arms moving around his mid as he firmly drew their bodies together. There was a quiet moment between them before Luc spoke, choosing his words carefully, “I am who you see,” he whispered against Callen’s skin, “no CIA operative, no con-man. Just a simple, straight-forward Navy SEAL.”</p>
<p>Another few silent seconds passed between them before some of the tension drained from Callen’s shoulders. Another second later and a sigh fell from his lover’s lips before he leaned back into Luc’s hold. “You’re not simple and you’re definitely not straight,” Callen said quietly, and Luc could hear the tentative smile in his voice.</p>
<p>He hid his smirk in the other man’s shoulder as he tightened his hold on him. “You like it that way,” Luc gave back, brushing a kiss against the back of Callen’s neck, knowing his lover would feel the smile that still clung to his lips.</p>
<p>There was a soft laugh and more tension seeped out of Callen’s shoulders. “True,” he replied quietly, his arms loosening around his frame and his hands coming to rest on top of Luc’s.</p>
<p>Xxxxxxx</p>
<p>Callen stepped into OSP and moved over to his desk. He put his go-bag down and went to get himself some coffee. Usually, he preferred tea, but right now, he could use a boost of caffeine. He had slept maybe an hour during the night, had spent several hours driving to and from Coronado. Still, the trip had been more than worth it.</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure how, but Luc had given him exactly what he needed when Callen himself hadn’t known what that was. The easy way his lover had let Callen take over, had left him feeling much more in control of a situation that had spiraled out of his grasp hours before. On top of that, Luc had managed to get him to actually open up and talk about what was wrong, not by pushing or sheer persistence, but by simply asking and then waiting for him to decide what and how much to offer.</p>
<p>Their physical encounters last night had ranged from highly controlled by Callen to a mutual give and take or a sensual and drawn out coupling. There had been a few moments during the night that were firmly burned into Callen’s memory:</p>
<p>The way Luc’s fingertips had trembled along his cheek with a gentleness that had made him feel precious, fragile, valuable.</p>
<p>The way the words came easily to his lips when he usually would have bottled everything up.</p>
<p>The way Luc had trusted him and let himself go, submitting to him.</p>
<p>He had left Luc deeply asleep in the early hours of the morning to drive back to L.A. The other man had been exhausted - and not only by the night’s physical encounters. Callen had remembered sometime while he watched Luc sleep that his lover had just come back from a special training. He felt a bit like an ass about having forgotten and appearing in the middle of the night with a set of problems that weren’t Luc’s to sort out, but he was also rather certain that Luc didn’t mind.</p>
<p>Callen’s head snapped up when he felt someone approach his desk. His eyes locked with his partner’s and he saw the way Sam mustered his expression and his features.</p>
<p>Callen let him look for a moment before he raised his cup to his lips and took a sip of the coffee, waiting for what Sam wanted.</p>
<p>Sam watched him closely for several moments longer before he sat down on the edge of Callen’s desk and ducked his head. “We good, G?” he asked quietly.</p>
<p>Callen paused, somewhat caught off-guard by the words, because to him that had never been in question. True, he had pointed out to Sam that it was his partner and his wife who had finagled a meeting between Callen and Joelle, but he had not expected Sam to take the comment to heart and think he blamed him for the fiasco. A moment later, he realized that it wasn’t those words that had Sam worried but rather the fact that Callen had neither appeared on the Hanna’s doorstep late last night nor had he called up his partner.</p>
<p>By now, Sam knew that Callen had to work out the difficult stuff by himself, so Sam let him go… knowing that Callen always sought out his partner to let Sam help him in keeping his balance afterwards though.</p>
<p>He hadn’t done that last night and Callen could only imagine that his partner was more troubled about that than anything else. It had nothing to do with Callen not valuing his partner or not trusting him anymore. It was just that Callen had found a different outlet and a different person to help him through this particular rough patch. Sam didn’t know about Luc though, so Callen suspected he was worried about the break in their routine.</p>
<p>He met Sam’s eyes and gave him a small smile. “Yes, Sam, we’re good,” he told the other man firmly.</p>
<p>Sam regarded him calmly for several silent moments and Callen saw the questions he had, saw the way Sam purposefully reigned them in and then straightened. “Alright,” the other man said and Callen noticed the way his shoulders loosened, obviously taking Callen’s words for face-value for the moment. “Listen, we’re going to grill some steaks tonight. Why don’t you stop by?”</p>
<p>Callen took another sip of his coffee and hid his smile. His partner’s invitation was pretty see-through, but he would not say no to a free steak dinner and if it helped Sam relax and realize that Callen wasn’t about to fly off the handle in the next few moments, who was he to argue?</p>
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